Wednesday, January 23, 2008

BURYING THE SECRET by Carol Rutter

"Feverish compliance with the law of attraction in the l980s left the author dead broke for 17 years and in a wheelchair by 2002, due to unanticipated medical conditions.

"When Rhonda Byrne’s The Secret muscled its way into the media in early 2007, the author’s unpleasant memories morphed into a passion to complete the book she started during her perilous law-of-attraction period. Over a 10-year span, the author had read 300 metaphysical books that inadvertently challenged The Secret’s core message: Just focus on what you want and it will quickly manifest.

"Burying the Secret was primarily inspired by Eastern thought, mysticism, and psychological matters as they relate to spirituality. The author learned about other elements at work, such as the laws governing cause and effect, transition, and suffering. She also discovered key influences on our soul’s development, such as learning lessons, voluntary acts of redemption, sacrifice, and free will.

"Burying the Secret indicts The Secret for its refusal to acknowledge that unanswered prayers are the norm and for its unfathomable premise: The law of attraction thrives as an independent force."

Personally, I’m glad someone has finally taken the time and energy to argue against law-of-attraction thinking. I, too, have known friends and acquaintances who bought into this contemporary con and then found themselves in serious financial trouble. We would all love to just ‘think’ about what we want–to be thin, rich, loved–and have it materialize. However, most of us know there is so much more involved than just the law of attraction to acquire what we desire in life. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with maintaining a positive, optimistic outlook on life. I believe the people who write ‘law-of-attraction’ books realize financial success because we buy their books.

Carol Rutter is an educated woman who has spent many hours reading and studying over 300 books and articles to find answers for her life. In Burying the Secret she tries to share her studies and thoughts with us from psychological to religious/metaphysical perspectives. The book is an organized collection of her research, plus her personal interpretations and current beliefs. As I said, Rutter is an intelligent, educated woman, and you may find her ramblings of some interest and inspiration.